Path of the Prophets

In this book devoted to the legacy of the biblical prophets, Path of the Prophets identifies the prophetic moment in the lives of 18 biblical figures, offers up an intimate view of their inner thoughts, illuminates their ethical legacies, and demonstrates their relevance to our 21st -century lives. While the Bible almost always refers to men as prophets, Path of the Prophets includes women as prophets. By broadly defining “who is a biblical prophet?”— expanding beyond the three major and twelve minor prophets identified in the Nevi’im section of the Hebrew Bible—the author introduces heroic biblical women whom readers may never even have heard of (such as Shiphrah, Hannah, and Tizrah), while deepening readers’ interpretations of more familiar biblical figures not generally thought of as prophets (such as Abraham, Joseph, and Judah).Each chapter’s biblical hero is announced by a first-person retelling of the story—an innovative interpretation of what that prophet was actually thinking when making bold proclamations, as the Bible rarely describes the prophets’ inner lives. The key biblical narrative follows—and then “The Prophetic Moment,” the crucial turning point, that shining second in our hero’s life, contextualized in history and theology. Building from here, the text considers our hero’s legacy—challenges and triumphs, and just how his or her ethical intentions live on. The chapter culminates with “Living the Bible,” a guide to integrating biblical-ethical values and a challenge to each of us: to walk the prophetic path today.